Polishing mop



July 3, 1923.

,IMIGLQMQE F. J. LEARMAN POLISHING MOP Filed May 8, 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 F. J. LEARMAN POLISHING MOP Filed May 8, 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 3, 1923.

(UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE.

FRANK J". LEARMAN, 0F BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR 'IO BUFFALO SPECIALTY COMPANY, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

POLISHING MOP.

A plication filed May 8,

1 0 all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, FRANK J. LEARMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Polishing Mops, of which the following is a specification. I

My invention relates to improvements in polishing mops, and has particular reference to the handle and the manner of fastening the same to a mop head.

The primary object of my invention is to'provide a simple and inexpensive polishing mop having new and improved means for securing the mop head to the handle sothat the handle may be-easily adjusted upon the mop while manipulating the mop and so that the handle may be retained in any adjusted position.

A further object of my invention is to provide means for fastening a handle to a mop head or other article of utility 111 which the usual socket to receive the handle is dispensed with, said means retaining all the advantages of a handle inserted into a socket and adding thereto advantages not possessed by such a handle.

A still further object is the production of a neat appearing connection between the handle and a mop head or other article of utility and which has few parts and is easily adjusted. v

With these and other objects in view, the

' invention consists in the novel features of construction and in the arrangement and combination of parts to be hereinafter de scribed and more particularly pointed out in the subjoined claims. i

In the drawings Fig. l is a perspective view of a mop showing the upper portion of the handle broken away, the usual swab or mopping element being omitted;

Fig. 2

is a side elevation ofthe'same.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse section taken on line 3-3, Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged transverse section taken on line 1-4-, Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section through the lower end ofthe handle showing'the manner of clamping the transverse pivot portion of a mop head therein.

Fig. 6 is a detached perspective view of 1920. Serial No. 379,853.

the upper clamping member of the handle.

Fig. 7 is adetached perspective view of the lower clamping member of'the handle.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a modified form of my invention. showing a portion of the lower end of the handle, and the clamping means whereby the pivot portion of the mop head is clamped in said handle. Fig. 9 is a section taken on line 9--9, Fig. 10.

. Fig. '10 is a transverse section taken on line 1010, Fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is a side elevation. of a still further modified form of my invention.

Fig. 12 is alongitudinal section taken on l.ne 1212, Fig. 11.

Fig. 13 is a longitudinal line 13-13, Fig. 12.

Fig. 14; is an enlarged transverse section taken on line 14E14, Fig. 13. v

The reference numeral 1 designates a mop head, 2 a handle and 3 the clamping means considered as a whole whereby the mop head may be clamped within the handle.

The mop head shown is adapted for use in connection with a polishing swab or mopping element (not shown) and is formed of wire bent into any desired outline and having a transverse pivot portion l. The type of mop head shown is adapted to have a polishing swab slipped thereon, the swab being ofany desired construction and being commonly known in'the art to which this invention relates.

The handle 2 is provided with a longitu section taken on dinal slot 5 extending from its lower or in nor end upwardly or outwardly, opposite faces of the slot being provided with transversely-disposed curved notches 0r depressions 6, the opposite notches or depressions forming a substantially transverse circular opening through the handle which the slot 5 intersects. The pivot portion 4 of the mop head or other article of utility is passed through the circular opening formed bv the notches 6 and is preferably grooved or otherwise roughened so that the parts of the handle on opposite sides of the slot will firmly engage said-pivot portion. I preferably provide that part of the pivot portion lying within the handle with V-shaped peripheral grooves forming a series of sharpened ridges 7 adapted to bite into the fibers of the wooden handle when the mop head is tightenedtherein, as willbe presently ex- I)l2\lll8(l,llllll it is tobe understood that for certain purposes, the pivot portion'may be left perfectly smooth so that ithas a smooth unfln-olcen surface from end to end.

The clamping mean 3 is preferably in the :l'orm ot two crescent-shaped members 8, 9

ernbi acing. respectively, the upper and lower portions of the handle separated by the slot 5, the member 9 having, centrally between its ends an upstanding threaded stem 10 which ispassed through alined openings'll in the upper and lower portions oi the handle and also through an opening 12 formed in the upper clampinp member 8. This stem is o't suiiicient length to extend upwardly above the-outer surlace of the clamping member 8 ior the purpose of applying a clai'nping or libergfoi the wood-en handle and thus prevent displacement oi the handle laterally, at

the same time increasing the friction between the pivot portion and the handle so that the handle will not swing on the pivot portion of the mop head, except when considerable tore-e is applied. either downwardl or u nvardly-on the-hai'idle to cause a change in thea'ngular position of the latter.

.ln'tlie modification shown in Figs. 8 to wt-inclusive, that part oi the pivot portion passing throughthc transverse opening 111- i teisected, by the slot 5 is perfectly smooth,

and at op osite sidesol the handle this pivot portion is provided with annular grooves 15 into which opposite end portions of the upijKP'ClflIl'lplnQ member 8* is adapted to be entered. -'lliis upper clamping member 8 di-i'lers from the elan'iping member 8 in that it has its extremities-at opposite sides of the handle continued to a point beyond the slot 5 so that it will enter the annular grooves at the vtrout oi? the pivot portion. In other respects the clampingmeans is exactly as shown in and described with reference to thepreceding! figures except that the lower clamping member 9 is made somewhat shorter than the clamping member 9,.

By entering the opposite ends of the upper clam ping member 8 into the circumferential grooves 15 of the pivot portion eel-ateral displacen'ient of the handle from the mop-head is preventechand this pivot portionis elampedbetween the separatedparts oi the handle by tightening the thumb nut 13 inthe same manner as the pivot portion. in the preferred construction is clamped when tightei'iing the clamping or thumb nut thereof.

In the modifi ation shown in Figs. 11 to 14 incli'isive, 2 designates the handle which is provided at its inner or lower end with a transverse slot 16 extending inwardly from its extren'iity and terminating at its inner end in acircular transverse opening 17 in which the pivot portion 4 of the mop head is adapted to be inserted. The clamping means employed in this case comprises :an upper crescent-shaped clamping member 8 having a threaded stem 18 extending from its inner face, and this threaded stem is adapted. to pass throue'h an opening 19 in the liaiulle 2 and project through the handle at the bottom thereof. A second crescent-shaped clamping: member 9? is provided with an opening 20 through which said stem projects. said clamping member Q 'bearin against the handle, as best shown in Fig. 14. A nut 13 is applied to the threaded portion of this stem, and between this nut and the clamping member 9" a washer 1% is inter posed.

The pivot portion {L of the mop head is provided with'an annular groove 21 and the threaded stem of the clamping member 8 is litted in said groove, as best shown in Fig; 12, thus prevei'iting lateral movement oi the handle on said pivot portion while allowing the handle to be swung to any desired angle.

As in the previous constructions, the degree of friction applied to the pivot por tion regulated by the thumb nut 13, and upon tightening this nut the spaced parts at opposite sides of the slot 16 in the handle are drawn together and create the necessary friction against saidpivot portion.

Having thus described my invention, what Iclaim is 1. The combination of a handle having a longitudinal slot therein, a mop head having a transverse pivot-portion extending through the slot of said handle,and clamping means on said handle between the end thereof-and said pivot portion whereby said pivot-portion is clamped within said handle yet permitted to rotate therein.

2. The combination of ahandle provided with a longitudial slot at one end and having opposite walls o-l said slot provided with transverse depressions, a mop head having a transverse pivot-portion arranged in said depressions, and meansbetween said pivot portion and the end of said handle for clamping the parts of the handle at opposite sides of said slot together to frictionally bind said pivot-portion within said depression yet permit said pivot-portion to rotate within said depression.

8. In a device of the kind described, the combination of a handle having a longitudinal slot at one end thereof, means to force the separated parts of said handle at opposite sides of said slot together, and a mop head having a transverse pivot-portion extending through the slot of said handle, said pivot-portion having means co-acting with another part of said device to prevent lateral movement of said handle with respect to said mop head.

at, In a device of the kind described, the combination of a handle having a longitudinal slot at one end thereof, clamping means for drawing the separated parts at opposite sides of said slot together, and a mop head having a transverse pivot-portion passed through said slot and provided with circumferential grooves adapted to receive other parts of the device therein to prevent lateral movement of said handle with respect to said mop head.

5. In a device of the kind described, the combination of a handle having a longitudinal slot at one end thereof, a mop head having a transverse pivot-portion passed through said slot, and a clamping means between said pivot-portion and the end of said handle for clamping the separated parts of said handle firmly against said pivot-portion, the part of said transverse pivot-portion within said slot being roughened to prevent relative movement laterally of said handle and mop head.

6. In a device of the kind described, the combination of a handle having a narrow longitudinal slot extending transversely therethrough and being provided with concaved depressions in opposite walls of said slot to form a transverse substantially-circular opening through said handle intersected by said slot, a mop head having a transverse pivot-portion fitting into said transverse opening, and clamping means to cause the separated parts of said handle at opposite sides of said slot to frictionally bind against said pivot-portion, said pivotportion having means co-operating with another part of the device to prevent lateral movement of said handle on said mop head.

7 The combination of a handle having a longitudinal slot at one end thereof, a mop head having a pivot portion extending through said slot, a crescentshaped clamping member embracing that portion of the handle below said slot between said pivot portion and the end of said handle and having an upstanding stem between its ends threaded at its outer end and passed through the separated parts of said handle, a crescent-shaped clamping member embracing the part of said handle above said slot and having an opening therein through which the stem of said first-mentioned clamping member passes, and a clamping nut threaded onto the projecting threaded end of said stem and adapted to force the separated parts of said handle together to clamp said pivot-portion therebetween.

8. In a device of the kind described, a handle having a longitudinal slot at one end thereof, an article of utility having a pivot portion extending through said slot, and co-acting means on said pivot portion and other parts of the device to retain said pivot portion against movement lengthwise therein.

In testimony whereof I aliix my signature.

FRANK J. LEARMAN. 

